Bleeding Into Reality
by Airam Writes
Summary: Stuck in a dimension in which they do not belong; Fionna, Cake, and Marshall Lee struggles to find their way back from the busy streets of New York City to the kingdom of Aaa—with a few surprises in stored for them. {Fionna x Marshall Lee; First Fic!; R & R}
1. Lost and Found

**Chapter 1: Lost and Found**

"Say, Fionna," The Vampire King drawled, eyeing his two companions mock boredom. "Why am I with you again?"

The hot summer night's air whispered against their ears as they raced towards the Mystery Temple. Though the night is young, the adventuress and her adoptive sister, Cake, decided to set off to this quest to find a specific crystal that Prince Gumball needed for his experiment. Apparently, this particular crystal appears to the aforementioned place once the alignment of the planets is achieved—which only happens once in a century.

Unsurprisingly, Fionna gladly accepted this quest to fetch this crystal despite the ungodly hour that is needed to fetch this magic item. Though the blonde heroine refused to acknowledge Cake's (and pretty much everybody else that who knows of her infatuation to the said prince) taunts that she still have this little (okay, maybe not little) crush on the Candy Kingdom's prince, she insisted going on early so they will camp out of their destination until the that crystal appeared in its rightful stead.

Turns out Fionna's decision is right to make: the fact that they have been going around in circles for four hours wasted a lot of time and energy—much to the two heroines' annoyance. They were lucky enough to be found by a wandering (_and_ floating) Marshall Lee, whom he called their attention. It wasn't that long till they manage to drag the male into their (sorta) late night adventure.

"Look, we _really_ need you navigational skills here." A sigh escaped the female's lips, looking up to meet the eyes of the vampire. Golden curls that fell out from her bunny hat bounced lightly as Cake trudged through the rocky path, who haven't spoken a word when Marshall came in. "You lived for—what? A thousand years? You've been to many places in Aaa, I'm sure you did not spend all of those years sulking in your cave."

"Technically, I'm _dead_." The floating male reminded her, shrugging. Lazily did he eyed the female, "Also, you have no proof that I have a lot of adventures through centuries. The last time I checked, you weren't even alive that time."

The moment it has slipped out of his mouth, he regretted it—is his words too harsh for the human to hear? His worry, however, melted away as he heard the tinkling laugh of the blonde.

"Yeah, right." The female chuckled, unimpressed. "Yet you told us when you kicked us out of the house that you hula-hooped in the Fire Kingdom."

"And ridden giant goldfishes." Her feline friend supplied, throwing the vampire a catty (literally) grin—much to Marshall's confusion.

Remembering that rainy night when he first saw the duo, a faint 'Oh' escaped his lips. The fact that he just made up those "adventures" he had mentioned just to build up his act of being tired completely slipped out of his mind. Though he was caught off guard when it was brought up by Fionna, his facial expression remained impassive: "So? It doesn't mean I already went there."

A scowl adorned her face, azure hues narrowing as Marshall spoke. "If you're so reluctant in helping us in this mission, why bother following us? You could have left us alone earlier if you don't want to give us a helping hand."

A smirk touched the vampire's pale lips, pleased to see the chagrin of the human as he messed up with her more. "Stop it." The blonde grumbled, dawning to her that it's one of his harmless pranks again. "Are you going to lead us to the Mystery Temple or what?"

Marshall Lee smiled, wide enough to see his glistening set of razor sharp teeth, "Actually, Fionna, I was about to get to that part."

* * *

"Nuh-uh!" Their feline companion hissed, its fluffy coat of fur rose up. "Sorry, sugarcakes, there's no way in the name of glob I'm going to transform into an inflatable boat or _anything_ if we're gonna cross that body of water."

"C'mon now, kitty cat," The floating male taunted, smirking at the sight of Fionna's sister terrified at the sight of water. Who knew this stretchable and sassy feline can be such a...cat? "It'll be a onetime thing: it'll be over as soon as you have just begun."

Another hiss was heard from Cake, this time; it was directed towards the Vampire King. "Easy for you to say, you old bat. You can fly! And you don't know how hard it is to be doused by water as a cat!"

"Knock it off, you two." A feminine voice said; Fionna emerged from the bush where she disappeared earlier. She volunteered to scout the whole lake to see if there is a nearby boat by the bank, but all in vain. "Sorry guys, I can't find a boat for us."

"Don't worry, you." Marshall smirked at her and jabbed his thumb towards Cake. "She's our ride to that Mystery Temple."

"Hey!" Tensing up as if to pounce on him, she glowered at the vampire. "I never said anything like that!" The aforementioned vampire flashed his fangs at the cat, effectively making the said feline retreat and shrink into a size of a can of beans. A faint meow was heard from her as it ran towards Fionna's open palms, muttering: "As if we can actually fly up there."

A light bulb went on in Fionna's blonde head. Snapping her fingers, she excitedly told them her idea. "That's it! Marshall, you can fly us to that island!"

The Vampire King's face slackened in disbelief, "Are you lumpin' serious? Or somebody just hit you in the head real hard?"

Upon realizing that the female wasn't joking, Marshall Lee shook his head. "That's crazy, Fionna. And if I can, you weight like a baby polar bear—you may end up being doused by the water nevertheless." Seeing the scowl on his companion's face, he held his two pale hands up as an apology. "What? It's true! Plus, I'm not sure if I can carry the two of you..."

Still holding her adoptive sister in her palm, Fionna let Cake climb unto her shoulders before sliding in her green backpack. Throwing a satisfied grin towards the vampire, she stepped closer and spoke: "Shall we fly now to the Mystery Temple now, Marshall Lee?"

"Only if you are ready." A small yelp of surprise came from the blonde girl as she was picked up—bridal style—by the vampire without any warning. Chuckling darkly at the female's reactions, Marshall Lee shot off across the body of water; heading towards their destination.

* * *

**A/N:**

_Hello, my lovelies! Thank you for clicking and reading the first chapter of _Bleeding Into Reality. _Although I am not new to FFN, it is my first time to actually publish a story so I'm quite eager and nervous at the same time. Please don't forget to Read and Review guys! It would be a huge help on what I need to improve on and everything._

_Again, thank you and have a good day!_

_—A_


	2. Of Dungeons and Caverns

**Chapter Two: Of Dungeons and Caverns**

By the time they arrived at their destination, it was already forty-five minutes before two o' clock—the designated time wherein this crystal will appear. The trio drank in the breathtaking view in front of them: the earthen tendrils and vegetation that curls up against the temple's feet—as if it was left alone to nature a _very_ long time; how the mighty yet ancient temple stood still against the beaming moon; faint fissures adorned the landmark—a sign that its structure is weak and fragile.

"Mathemathical!" The blonde breathed, her sapphire-like orbs eyeing the landmark with childlike wonder. Gingerly did the young adventuress approached the temple, only to be stopped by a furry hand (or was it paw?) on her shoulder. "Hold on for a second, girlfriend—" Without removing her paw on Fionna's shoulder, Cake shortened her stretched arm and eyed the place warily. "I've got a bad feeling about this—my tail's totally frizzing out."

The duo appraised their destination: looking at the possible weak spots of the structure for them to have an easy escape just in case something went wrong during their quest. Many are found but a few possible exits are safe enough for the three of them—and it wasn't as easy as they thought.

"I don't smell anything different." The vampire shrugged beside them, breaking the ladies' mental planning. Two pair of eyes found his, making the male shift slightly in awkwardness. Marshall Lee shrugged, brushing off that irritating feeling. "I mean, it smell like any other old places to me: dark and stinks like dead people."

"_Dead people?_" The two siblings echoed incredulously, eyes bulging out of their sockets by a fraction.

The male's shoulder rose and fell again: a shrug. Though he was not completely oblivious by their lack of interaction with _real_ dead people, The Vampire King thoroughly enjoys their raw reaction cross their faces.

Despite her worries, the adventuress stood up a little straighter: a brave attempt to brush off her own fear. Detaching her backpack from her back, Fionna started rummaging through its depths; only to fish out a dagger—its golden blade is almost as long as the vampire's forearm. Determination and adrenalin coursed through the heroine's veins, energy almost building up as an excitement to explore this unknown land.

"Let's roll guys," Speaking a little louder, Fionna smiled at her two companions. "The crystal's not going to wait for us when it appears."

* * *

Despite that really huge signage plastered at its entrance (**DO NOT ENTER. IF YOU DID, DO NOT TOUCH ****_ANYTHING._**), they still insisted going in. Thanks to Marshall and Cake's ability to see through the darkness, they have avoided dragging an oozing Fionna-pie as they trudged deeper into this ancient maze-like place.

Through Marshall Lee won't admit it, he have spotted the familiar-looking white bunny hat from afar long before he actually approached the two. He remembered strumming a tune that matches his mood earlier, only to be interrupted by the faint rustling he heard by his left. _No_, he wouldn't call it stalking since he only done it once, (perhaps more than once; it was few nevertheless) so it does not count—or at least that's what he was forcing himself to believe.

It took the Vampire King long enough to realize that they were walking around in circles in the forest. An internal debate surged through him whether or not to approach his favourite adventurers for he was enjoying their frustration. Deciding to make fun of the duo's misadventures, the male drifted close to them—strumming his weapon-slash-favourite instrument as eerily as possible to scare their wits out.

Now look what it got him, forced to tag along with Fionna and easily scared cat, Cake, because of that Gumwad's stupid request.

Not that he was complaining that he got the chance to have an expedition with this particular hot adventuress of Aaa (this opinion is completely platonic, Marshall reminded himself, he _had_ to admit that puberty did a good job on her), it's just he find it completely idiotic and ironic that a lumpin' _prince_ needs to acquire a help of a _female_ friend for such strenuous activity. No, the vampire wasn't being sexist. But c'mon, wasn't it a bit embarrassing for what manly pride you have to ask a girl for a helping hand that was supposed to be done by a male?

_Well,_ The dark haired male mused, thinking of his sometimes friend (because they argue a lot). _Gumball seems to be girly compared to me—and everybody else, maybe._

However, his pensive thoughts were interrupted by a peculiar glow coming from the blonde girl's weapon. "Hold on," Marshall stopped in his tracks, making the two follow his suit. "Why you're not using a sword?"

The female shrugged, "Let's just say I wasn't too fond of using swords ever since the Ice Queen tricked me." Glob, that was totally embarrassing. How can she even let herself deceived—no, _blinded_ by her own feelings for Gumball—by that cougar?

An average-sized Cake purred smugly beside her, "Girl, but you have to admit, that kitty litter sword was very effective."

The vampire echoed incredulously, obviously gobsmacked. "_Kitty litter sword?_ Does that _thing_ includes Cake's poo?"

A low growl rumbled coming from the female's throat. Cake was really getting real tired of these people assuming about _that_. Inflating herself as if to intimidate the vampire, she shrieked: "_DO I LOOK LIKE I'M GOING TO TOUCH MY OWN POO?"_

Her shrill outburst vibrated through the ancient walls, earning a rumble from the landmark they were in. The adventuress glanced at those mentioned walls that enclosed her nervously; though the male remained impassive, he seemed to be anxious himself.

"I...think—" The blonde's voice faltered, lowering her dagger slightly. "—we should _really_ lower our voices, you know. This place looks really fragile than we expected."

She heard a scoff from her right: Marshall Lee. "Thank you for pointing the noticeable thing, Captain Obvious."

A glare was shot towards the male, making him realize that _he_ was the one who started this bickering thing with Cake. Marshall feigned a hurt look—like a child being reprimanded for breaking his mother's precious vase, though he completely understand that the main reason that the human was biased because Cake was technically her sister. An adoptive one, but true nevertheless.

Perhaps a silent agreement were exchanged between the trio as they trudged deeper into an endless maze of bricks and cobwebs (which Cake despises a _lot_), for they haven't spoken for a very long time until they reached a huge empty chamber. It was creepy enough for Cake and Fionna. The latter lets out a silent shriek as she accidentally shone her flashlight on a skeletal system lying on the floor near one of the passageways, though the former just squints through the darkness.

"Wait," The vampire called, also squinting. Deciding that he can't take this eerily dark room (which is slightly unusual, since he _is_ a creature of the night), he snapped his fingers—resulting to lighting up the two torches that resides in the both sides of the room. "What is _that_?"

The lightened room revealed three doorways (which look as ancient as the rest of the landmark aside for one); series of dots and dashes were carved neatly on each. It also presents its high-ceilinged part of the chamber, Marshall thought randomly if he can fly up there to see if it was high enough to do a bungee jump.

"Oh! Oh!" Cake excitedly purred; elongating her supposed-to-be tiny hind legs long enough to reach that weird stuff carved against the wall. Fionna and Marshall exchanged a confused look, wondering what excites this little feline of theirs.

"My, my, it's our lucky day isn't?" Once again, she purred; now pointing at the dots and dashes. "I can understand them, babycakes! It's like the same thing MoChro uses to communicate to us!"

"That's great." Marshall replied cautiously, obviously not wanting her sudden euphoria drains away because of him. "Now can you tell us what those thing means?"

Facing the wall, the two of them felt her upbeat realization ebbs away. Worried, the blonde adventuress called her quietly. "Cake?"

"The first door—that one with the bonehead—says 'Never go here!'. That one—" Pointing her paw at that modernized doorway, she spoke quietly. "—says 'It's safe here!'; and lastly, that one in the middle says 'EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STUFF HERE'."

Wrinkling her nose, the adventuress spoke, "Neither of the three sounds so rad. And that path with the skeleton does not look inviting at all."

"Plus, I don't really trust that fancy passageway, you know?" Added the Vampire King, eyeing the mentioned pathway suspiciously.

Three pair of eyes landed on the middle doorway. Cake stammered, now edging beside the two, "B-but Fionna, it says 'EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STUFF HERE'."

A beat. "Well, we always live in danger haven't we?"

"I would also like to add that you're technically travelling with _the_ Vampire King here." A grey slender finger pointed itself smugly, nodding at the two.

The feline sighed, "Guess we never have any choice here but that one, huh?"

Two voices coming from the blonde girl and the vampire blended in, saying in unison: "Nope."

* * *

**A/N:**

_And that's it for chapter two, haha! To be perfectly honest, I enjoyed typing this chapter a lot (so it kinda, you know, got long?). It'll be a great help (and joy!) for your reviews. It keeps me motivated and stuff. And yes, those "dots and dashes" are the Morse Code. It was said that it was Lord M's language for the genderswapped episode. C:_

_Also, I inserted a few Fionna and Cake comic references. Like that episode, I like the comics, too. _

_Thank you and have a nice day!_

_—A_


	3. What Lies Ahead

**Chapter 3: What Lies Ahead**

Turns out, the writings on the wall wasn't joking about the "extremely dangerous stuff" part.

It seems like every part of the corridor (not to mention a few rooms they have set down to take a whiff) tried to kill them. Traps were laid after traps—mechanical spiders were literally a killing machine twenty-five long strides before them; and just recently, a few bewitched tendrils attacked and almost strangled them to death. The blonde adventuress wondered silently how a site so old contains such machinery. Sure, she can understand that a few annoying magic tricks will be played on them due to the landmark's age; but she could have sworn that kind of machinery was very much new. _Hello?_ It's not possible to find a working _polished_ killing machine in a thousand-years-old site like this—on a logical basis, of course.

Unless...

_No._ The human frowned, wiping that green icky stuff that clung to her golden blade. She has to be strong for her companions' sake. Though it was not voiced out by the three of them, an unspoken agreement was made that Fionna should really lead this one. Not only because she has more experience with this kind of stuff (which is technically true, since Cake spent most of her time with her cat naps and—ever since she met her significant other—spending time with Lord MoChro); because no matter how she tried to squash it, her pride as the last human being on Earth yearns to prove herself in front of her two companions. Considering the fact that she _is_ very much fragile-er (Wait, the blonde paused, that's not even a word!) compared to Marshall Lee and Cake, she has this _need_ to show them that she will not be a liability in every adventure they have.

"Ugh," The heroine heard the vampire grunt by her left. Like her, he seemed to be wiping off the goo from his instrument's blades. "I know that's disgusting and all, but it _really_ takes a lot of time polishing this baby, you see."

Azure hues were rolled, playfully glaring at the male. "We were almost killed by a bunch of bewitched vines and you're worried about how it ruins the polish of your _guitar_?"

"Hey! It takes a lot of hours!" Marshall Lee stood a little straighter, defensive. "And this one's a bass guitar, mind you."

Not really putting up with her stern act anymore, the adventuress chuckled. "Yeah, right. Whatever you say, _Marshie._"

A scowl touched the Vampire King's face, disliking that nickname of his given to him by his mother. With a blush creeping up his grey face, he grumbled weakly: "Shut up."

Without really thinking on her choice of words, Fionna childishly sticking her tongue out at him, saying: "Make me."

An automatic smirk crawled up to the vampire's lips. "How?"

Upon realizing how it sounds _so_ wrong to her ears, the human turned pink. The vampire cleared his throat rather awkwardly, forcing his eyes to stare at the ground.

Cake, which has been busy licking her furs clean all this time, narrowed her eyes at the two. "Are you two done flirtin' now or should I leave?"

If anything, it triggered the adventuress' face flamed worthy of the Flame Prince. Feeling the need to defend herself, Fionna stammered: "But—I wasn't—we weren't even..."

That irritating (yet adorable at the same time) smug 'nope-you-can't-fool-me' look was obviously plastered on the feline's furry face, making the human trail off. The said animal quirked a brow, as if she does not believe her sister's lame excuse to deny the fact they just flirted. "...Right."

Luckily enough, Marshall was witty enough to change the subject. "Don't you guys have a time limit or something?"

Obviously, Fionna bit the bait. Pounding her closed fist against her open palm, she exclaimed. "Glob! The crystal!"

Beckoning her friends to follow her, they trudged deeper into their chosen pathway; leaving behind any sense of awkwardness that were ensued earlier.

Cake served as a living sensor for the both of them as they moved on. Though the vampire almost share the same ability with the fluffy feline—acute senses and all—he'd like to be the back guard...or whatever name was given on the dude who stay behind to be their back defense.

"So," The male floated behind her rather eerily as possible, knowing that his creeper skills as a bloodsucking monster lost its charm (or scare-factor, rather) on the human girl. "What's with you and Bubba, huh? Haven't you moved on with him yet?"

"_For the love of—_" The blonde girl gritted her teeth in frustration. "I swear I'm gonna mutilate the next person who's going to ask this question _again_. Gumball and I are friends. End of the story. Nothing more, nothing less."

Marshall Lee quirked a taunting eyebrow towards the female. If there's something he really enjoys aside from scaring and pranking people night after night, it's riling up Fionna with her lovely affairs with the princes of Aaa. "Oh, really now, Fi?"

Though most of those princes fawned over the adventuress (perhaps it was the heroic deed of her saving their royal arses from that cougar Ice Queen made her more likable to those princes?), Fionna only laid her eyes to only two princes: Prince Gumball and the Flame Prince. And the last time she has checked—those things didn't end up well for the two princes.

True, both Gumball and the Flame Prince stayed friends with the human—romantic feelings aside, of course. But whenever her thoughts flew back how did she screwed up _badly_ with the Flame Prince and how her feelings grew unrequited from Gumball makes her want to curl up in a ball in shame and disappear.

Man, she really sucks at romantic relationships, doesn't she?

Ugh, this is exactly why Fionna do not dwell on her feelings anymore—it crawls back to her then the shame on how naïve she was before sinks in.

A glare was shot towards the smirking vampire, using a closing tone for him to drop the subject. "_Yes._"

"Oh no," Cake called from afar, making the female rush towards her sister. "You _have_ to see this, sugarcakes. 'Coz we can't go any further anymore."

Frowning at the feline's words, sapphire orbs followed Cake's. At the end of the long corridor lies a wall that stood proudly as if to say: 'That's it folks! All your efforts are wasted! Congratulations!"

"No, no, no!" The blonde exclaimed in disappointment, pounding that fist that holds her dagger against the wall. Delicate yet calloused hands scraped the wall in front of her, as if she were searching for something. "There _has_ to be a secret button somewhere for a secret passage! This can't be end!"

Cake looked disappointed as well. Like her sister, her paws were desperately looking for that secret button that might not exist at her. The feline's internal clock warned her that they only have ten minutes left (don't ask her how, it more like a cat thing), unaware of that mirror that was placed beside her furry side.

"Hmm," However, the Vampire King _did_ notice that peculiar mirror. Floating closer to the mirror that does not return his reflection, he called the two loud enough to make his companions stop their futile search. "Check this out."

"It's a mirror." Fionna obviously stated, hopeless and frustrated. "What about it?"

"Awwww hell naw!" The feline exclaimed beside the human, gaping in shock on how dirty her fur was. Biggest pet peeve of a cat like her: unkempt fur.

Getting more restless, Marshall threw both of his arms in the air before pointing its direction towards the mirror. "Look at it! It's a two-way mirror! Isn't that obvious?"

The adventuress was just as confused as her sister. "A _what_?"

Marshall Lee was aware that they were running out of time, so he summarized how a two-way mirror works. "A two-way mirror looks like any other mirror except that on the other side, someone can see you and you can't."

The uncomprehending faces made him frustrated. Grasping the neck of his bass guitar, he swung it at the mirror at full speed—causing the glass to break into tiny shards, revealing a dark hollow entrance to nowhere.

"What I'm trying to say is—" The vampire slung his axe bass back, smirking smugly at the ladies. "—it means that it is hollow on the other side. Come along."

Fumbling for the flashlight, the three of them entered the dark secret passage, unaware what was waiting for them on the other side.

* * *

**A/N:**

_And that's it for chapter three! Leave a review so I can hear your thoughts (and they really help me a lot) and stuff._

_I can assure you there will be more action on the next chapter. Stay tuned! :3_

_—A_


	4. Crystals

**Chapter 5: Crystals**

"Sweet babies!" The feline's amber eyes dilated, drinking in the sight in front of her. "Gotta say, this room is _waaaaaaaay_ likable than that glob-forsaken path we took earlier."

It took for the golden-haired to have her eyes adjust to the well-lighted cavern (compared to that corridor and that dark passageway they went, that is); she had her eyes squinted, trying to make sense of her newfound surroundings.

And when they did, Fionna can't help but to produce a small gasp of her own.

Uneven, jagged rocks seemed to embed every surface of the room like an annoying zit. Yet the fascinating part about this room is that, glowing crystals in different colours literally grew out from those boulders like a tree. The aforementioned cavern was a little stuffy compared to that wide room that held the three doors of decision-making (maybe it's because of those crystals growing?), but this one's more eye-catching and friendlier than _that_ room.

Oddly enough, those rough boulders seemed to blend in to the crystals' smooth surface. The human just realized that this room wasn't that bright at all, it's just the collected faint radiance emitting from those huge minerals. Only the center of this space left unoccupied—with a few tiny green crystals sprouting at its middle.

Unsurprisingly, Marshall—whose skin looks really weird against that colourful luminosity emitting from those crystals—remained unimpressed. "This looks like a place where the Lumpy Space Prince is going to throw a party next. Do you think we should drop him a call about this place?"

Chuckling, the blonde replied, "Sure, but I don't think he'll like exterior design, you know."

"Or the traps. Oh no, those things are downright _nasty_, girl." The feline supplied, nodding as she emphasized the 'nasty' part by attempting to make a scary face.

Hunching as if to imitate the aforesaid prince, Fionna copied the voice of the prince and waved her hand dismissively. "Traps are _so_ last month. Waterslides are the next big thing you know?"

The vampire's lips twitched in amusement, though he refused to let go of that raised brow that either shows his internal (non-existent) judgement or just plain unimpressive. "Er, I think you should leave the mocking stuff to me, Fi. You and I both know I'm slamacowtastic at imitating people."

"I'm not mocking LSP!" The adventuress defiantly replied while using the prince's nickname, lips pouting slightly at his accusation. _Weeeell, maybe just a _little_ bit on the mocking part. _The female thought guiltily, shaking her head internally.

The male, too, shook his head incredulously. "And waterslides? Where did that came from?"

Blood rose to the human's cheeks, "I-It just came around randomly in my head." She mumbled, slightly embarrassed. "I'm not that updated on what's in or what's not. I'm too busy adventuring for that stuff!"

Sadly, it was the truth. Cake reckons that it's her way of coping up _and_ moving on with none other but the Flame Prince itself, but Fionna refused to acknowledge _or_ confirm her sister's assumptions. Probably it's because of her stubborn nature—and _that_ very nature of hers itself makes Cake annoyed as hell for she cannot seem to spill the beans about her adoptive sister's love life. How can she even help her sister-slash-best friend in her love life with her suave tips in dating? Wasn't it a big sister's duty to guide her young siblings on that path to being not single?

A faint quaver from the ground was felt by the ladies. "Whoa," Wide shades of blue met the feline's amber ones. "Did you feel that?"

Nodding, she answered with a small yes.

"...Are you sure that this is the right place where that crystal of yours will appear?" A thick dark brow from the vampire was raised, appraising the two. "I mean this place looks like it has a lot of rooms. What if, _I don't know_, that crystal is in the other room?"

A smug chuckle escaped the cat's mouth (he couldn't exactly say _lips_, you know), "Puh-weez! Do ya really think we're goin' to a place that we haven't gone in to unprepared?"

"Considering the fact that I found you and Fionna wandering pointlessly in the woods, I think you know my answer."

Once again, the naiveté (or ignorance; it depends on your perspective, really) of the human was raw on her face. "What is your answer?"

Marshall resisted the urge to slap his palm against his forehead. "My answer is _yes_, Fionna."

"Oh."

"Psh," Cake waved her fluffy paw dismissively, "You just have no faith in us."

"Yes, I don't. Especially in your navigational skills." He answered truthfully. In his defense, he already saw enough evidence from that earlier. "But how can you be so sure that this is _the_ place?"

"Easy peasy!" Rummaging through her sister's backpack (which earned her a surprise "HEY!" from Fionna), she pulled out a small (small enough to fit her tiny beanlike paws) glassy sphere that was already glowing an annoying shade of pink. "Gumball gave this to me before we get out of his castle. He says that it glows brighter when we are near to its appearing place. I think he said more scientific explanation for that but I don't really get his explanation so...yeah."

"Ohhh, so that's the weird thing I saw earlier." Realizing this tiny tidbit, something sinks in. "_Wait_, Gumball gave you something that can actually help us to get here?" She felt betrayed—how can she not tell her about this.

As the feline opened her mouth to respond, another tremor was felt—only this time it was stronger and longer by a notch. The trio fell silent once more, waiting for it to pass. A few earthy dusts from the ceiling fell, covering their heads with it.

"O...kay." Narrowed were his eyes towards the chamber they were in as he shook his raven-like hair to get those dusts off. "Do minor earthquakes happen when this crystal appears?"

It seems to be an impeccable timing (and it does) when a pink blinking _something_ went on 'beep-beep-beep' near the female's collarbone. A pair of fumbling hands caught the blinking crystal, tapping it right so she can see the hologram from of the Candy Prince.

"Oh, hello Fionna." His voice never changed even if they were not talking in flesh—gentle and melodious. She used to think that his voice will be fitting for a lullaby or a poetic reading (which is true), but now's not the time to think about that—more important things matter than Gumball's voice. "I believe that within two minutes or less the Equinox Crystal will appear at the Mystery Temple. I assume you and Cake have found the place inside the temple where it will appear?"

"Yes!" If there was anything she prided over, it's her success in her adventures. Technically, this quest will end by the time they get the crystal _and_ get out of their alive.

"Excellent! My calculations are right, then." The prince nodded, obviously pleased. "Looks like my variables was equated correctly, such correlation, indeed! Now, if I just get a hold of that crystal, my experiment will be ready for testing. I wonder if the magical force from that object will affect the projectile angle of—"

"_Glob_, Gumwad, can you please keep the nerdy stuff to yourself? It's not like everyone can speak science like you do." The king interrupted, rolling his dark eyes towards the hologram. He wasn't that sure if he just _wants_ to annoy the prince or he was annoyed _at_ the prince. Probably a mixture of both, maybe.

A scowl, with a hint of chagrin, washed the excited grin off his face. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"You know, doing some manly things that men do." A taunting smirk was back on his face. _Ah, yes. Another bickering round with Gumball._ "You should try that sometimes, it really gets your sweet pink skin more buff and tough enough to fend off the Ice Queen."

"You dare—"

Whatever insults the Candy Prince was going to retort, it was interrupted by another quiver of the ground—stronger than ever.

Funny how Gumball's expression can morph from highly annoyed to concerned. "What's going on, Fionna?"

"I was actually about to ask that question, you know." The female grumbled, disliking the fact that the two are bickering again. "Does that Equinox Crystal of yours can cause, um, earthquakes?"

"Earthquakes?" The hologram echoed, shocked. "No, of course not, Fionna. It just appears without any natural disturbances. It appears...now."

As if right on cue, a stronger glow of yellow-green covered the area. Squinting at the sudden flash of light, the trio (especially Marshall) averted their eyes until the luminosity of the said crystal becomes a tame shade of lime. Gumball requested Fionna to make him see the crystal that caused the female unlacing its rope from her neck and twisted their communicator.

On the middle of the room floats a pillow-sized chunk of glowing oval crystal, whose shade of green can't be classified enough to be an emerald for it was so pale. It was beautiful, without a doubt. But the adventuress can't help to wonder how that will fit in Gumball's experiment.

And yet, another earthquake was felt—strong enough to make them sway. Her eyes were just focused on one goal: to retrieve the crystal. If this earthquake escalated real quickly she has to prevent that crystal from falling to oblivion.

Cracks started forming on the wall and on the floor alike. Screaming to the vampire, she pointed at the gem. "Marshall! Get the crystal, quick!"

Luckily, the Vampire King swooped down to grab the crystal swiftly. Cake and Fionna steadied themselves against a rock, wishing for the quakes to cease.

But it didn't; and the cracks just went _wider._

A shriek of fear escaped the female's lips as the surface she was standing on crumbled into bits, sending her down to the pit of blackness. Two arms caught her: one from Marshall Lee's free hand and one from Cake's stretched arm.

And another peculiar thing after that: why are they being blown sideward all of a sudden? Where was this wind-thingy coming from?

Whatever what was sucking them from their holding blew the adventuress' bunny hat away, sending those golden curls free from their confines. Her hair was no help, for it has done more damage than good. The Vampire King, who was already struggling to find his equilibrium with the weight he was getting from the crystal and the human girl, was knocked off balance as the wild wind sent Fionna's golden strands to hit his eyes. His name was called unbidden from the human's lips, trying to reach out for him even though he's way far from help itself.

"We have to help him!" Fionna yelled towards her sister as she watched Marshall Lee being sucked by that unknown vortex.

"Are you crazy? You'll get us both killed!" Her sister yelled back, though she seemed to be afraid of the blonde's decision.

Palms that clung to the cat's paw were slick with sweat, "Then I'll try dying while saving a friend."

It took three agonizing seconds before she replied: "On the count of three."

"One..."

"...Two..."

"...Three!"

Acting as a shock absorber for the female, the feline morphed and covered her sister, letting themselves carried and be sucked by an unknown vacuum—which was already closing when they dived in.

* * *

The shrieking winds have stopped—only to be replaced by an eerie silence and a cracking voice because of a disturbed signal.

"Fionna?" The static voice of Gumball echoed through the silence as the necklace lay on the rough rocks. "Cake? Marshall?"

He waited for a minute for a reply that will never come; after a few more seconds, he spoke with intense anxiousness colouring his tone.

"Oh, glob. This is _so_ not good."

* * *

**A/N:**

_Dun dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuun~~~~~ Uh-oh, now they're in serious trouble. Whew! Longest chapter I have written so far! Thank you so so so sooooo much for the reviews guys! It really helps!_

_So what do you think of this chapter? Leave a review about it! :D_

_See you next time!_

_—A_


	5. An Extreme Case of Jetlag

**Chapter 5: An Extreme Case of Jetlag**

Marshall Lee never gets sick.

He is a vampire for glob's sake, vampires don't get nauseous. Their heightened senses prevent those stupid side effects that mortals experience whenever they try to overexert their body's limitations. Plus, their immune system is _way_ off the charts to catch a virus or bacteria that can cause an actual mundane illness.

That being all said, Marshall Lee is not supposed to get sick.

Yeah, _supposed_.

But _damn_, he really feels like throwing up as the male was blasted off into the unknown as he was sucked by that green portal-like vacuum. As soon as he entered it, the next thing he knew is that he was being dragged by the speed of light by some unknown force in it.

Now at the face of death, the Vampire King refuses to open his eyes and let the blackness provided by his eyelids comfort him. _No_, it's not because he's scared of what he might see last if he opened his eyes but he's _definitely_ scared that he might get even more nauseous than he is right now if he did open his eyes. Which is pretty much embarrassing if ever he did puked in this glob-awful tunnel. He'd rather _die_ than to puke for the first time in his vampire years.

Death. Such a lovely word yet feared the most by mortals. Probably any people would look at him as if he was crazy if he said it out loud, of course. The vampire had a few encounters with Death before (literally, since he's a real humanoid dude...sort of) and it was pretty awesome, considering the fact they have jammed together whenever they meet. Like him, Death was a lonesome man—probably because a lot of people feared him (which is true), yet Death claims to be "misunderstood man who is just trying to do his job".

Of course, like any other sane person who lived and walked on Earth, Marshall Lee wondered how it feels like to die. Every day, before he goes to his nocturnal slumber, he had always imagined how he will die in the next few millennia or so. Most of the images conjured by his head were kind of gore and bloody—figuratively on the bloody part, of course. Perhaps someone will claim his life with a wooden stake, or maybe he'll just burn under the sun's rays and crumble into dust.

But none of those images in his head ever imagined _this_.

Also, he had thought (ages ago) what will be his last words or thoughts. If he were to find a mate for him before his end came (in which he didn't, since it's totally obvious he's going to die by this crazy tunnel), he'd surely bear the thought of that person seconds before his dying breath and be the last thought he'd ever bear as Death claimed his soul (if he have one, that is). And since he was a sucker for romance (Shh! It's a secret!), he'd probably tell her some mushy, cliché words to her and then die.

But honestly, the only thought he have in his mind right now is: '_FUUUUUUUUUUCK I'M DOING TO DIIIIIIIIIIE!'_

He's not Fionna—who always put her life at stake for all those adventures she had. Marshall even reckons that she's willing enough to give up her life to an annoying pixie just to save their kingdom, even. He knows he have thoughts of him dying, but he himself _is_ afraid of dying.

The Vampire King is cruel and selfish in contrast to the adventuress' attributes. But that does not mean that he does not want to stop living—despite him being already undead, of course.

The only thing that keeps him sane from this weird reality he put himself into (With the help of Fionna's long golden hair of course. Glob, have she heard of the word "haircut"?) is that warm gem that constantly hums with its unused energy within.

You know, like a heartbeat.

He waited for his death for what it seemed like _forever_ (trust him, he knows the sense of the word firsthand)—but it never came. And his thoughts aren't that helping him to make an escape for this either, for his mind was conjuring weird images that he'd be flattened like a pancake at the end of this tunnel because of a lumpin' wall.

Rendered powerless in this bizarre in-between realm, Marshall Lee snarled into frustration.

He _hates_ it when he's powerless. He's a frigging king! A Vampire King, to be exact. He's supposed to be _powerful._

Taking a cautious peek for the first time, he saw that greenish wall of force that holds him quiver, as if his angered qualms made it scared.

Before he can decide or rejoice that he might have a small surviving chance at this awful tunnel, Marshall Lee was suddenly flung out of that mysterious tunnel like a catapult's load.

* * *

Fionna, on the other hand, does not handle nausea well and decided to puke _all_ of her dinner in the vortex.

She did it twice already, and she can feel another one coming from the very pit of her stomach. As dizzy was she, the blonde adventuress was glad that she have Cake with her. Murmured words of affection and worries came from her sister as she saw her turning green again.

"Oh don't you worry, sweetie," Whispered Cake as her body enclosed (literally) Fionna's soothingly. "I'm here, I'm here. I'm sure we'll get some help by the time we get there."

The two pretty much figured it out that this one might be a portal to somewhere. They've experienced travelling from one place to another using a portal. Things felt the same except one thing didn't just fit in: the duration of the time being spent while travelling in this vortex.

Shouldn't these portals can get you to _any_ places in a blink of an eye? (Literally.)

_Glob, it's been taking ages!_ The adventuress impatiently thought. A worried voice nagged inside of her head; whispering pessimistic stuff that Fionna do not want to dwell on.

She has to focus on her goal—which was very simple: save Marshall Lee before it's too late.

As if her surroundings (which is not that much aside from that hazy green swirl of endless tunnel) abide to her wishes, a sickening pop (mostly on Fionna's part, she's pretty much dizzy from that kind of trip) was heard before she was launched out from that tunnel in no time.

"Hang on, Fionna!" Yelled her sister, wrapping and stretching her furry arms around the human's waist. In a jiffy, Cake transformed into something a lot like a spring before turning herself into a wide trampoline to support her sister's fall.

Groaning and struggling to control her stomach's unpleasant means of emptying, the human curled up into a ball—hoping to stop the swimming of her sight. It wasn't that easy—black spots covered her vision and there were ringing sounds in her ears.

And when her eyes focused, it was blinded by the bright light from above.

Tall walls made of bricks (or was it concrete?) enclosed her sides, also noticing a few windows popping out of those said walls. Whispers of animated chattering were heard from the background as well as the fast paces of those things that owned those murmurs. She was facing the wall—the dead end of the corridor (or was it an alleyway?). Sooner she found out that the light that half-blinded her was coming from the sun; and _boy_, it's really hot in here!

"Fionna! Baby! Thank goodness you're okay!" Another set of fluffy arms wrapped around her waist, squeezing the air out of her in relief. The female returned the gesture warmly and thanked her lucky stars that they are alive. "I'm glad you're okay, too, Cake." An affectionate pat in the head comes from the human before standing up and brushing away the dust from their clothes and fur.

And very faintly, from afar, a manly groan was heard.

"Marshall!" The siblings met each other's eyes in anxiousness before coming to his aid, hoping that their friend was okay.

* * *

What really set his senses on fire was that blinding pain from the sun's rays.

Even though he cannot see it, he felt the blisters forming on his skin as the scalding pain continues to attack every inch of his grey-toned skin. The Vampire King did the natural thing that his kind does: he let his instincts control him.

He did not felt the gem slipping away from his grasp as his body for a shady place to hide. Reason was not possible if a vampire acted on instincts. Cries of pain lay unbidden from his lips as he settled on a metal box that was large enough to hold his slowly combusting body.

A hiss of triumph was heard from him as he tucked his body on the darkest part of that box he temporarily made shelter with, glaring at the sunlight that forced him to hide in this metal box.

However, what struck him the most is that he is still alive.

Regardless of that fact that he _is_ dead already in his state, Marshall Lee was genuinely happy that he is still a breathing, living man.

Now that his life was not in stake anymore, his thought gathered on one solitary female: Fionna.

Letting his senses roam to check if the adventuress was on a 50-radius mile from here, he can't help but to be astonished by what have his acute senses gathered up for him.

Aside from the stench coming from the garbage he's in (he just noticed that this one's a dumpster or something), he caught the polluted hint colouring the air he was breathing in. Though the air was impure, what struck him the most was the almost synchronized beating of many human hearts in this area. Human hearts have a .01 milisecond difference from any creature he had met in Aaa (don't ask him how he knows this one, he just _knows_)—which is small, yes; but it was a big difference enough for the vampire to have his shields up.

Sweet, sweet blood that was enclosed to their systems made Marshall's mouth water. A feral growl came from his throat, every inch of him begging to have a taste. It has been _ages_ since he drank an actual blood from somebody—a fact that he still regrets up to this day.

But the temptation being laid in front of him was too much. Perhaps it was better if he was off dead.

The most fascinating of all? These humans he detected are _alive_.

Humans are very much extinct in Aaa—with Fionna as an exception. So what is this place that just reeks with the scent of human population everywhere?

Oh, no. Has Marshall Lee travelled back in time?

A groan made by the vampire was loud as the last blister that formed in his skin closed up, only to be followed by sigh of relief that the pain from the sun is gone.

"Marshall? Marshall!"

Another hiss was spat towards the sunlight as it has gotten bigger, he can feel the close proximity of the sun's rays as the familiar voice called unto him.

"Oh, glob. The sunlight! Cake! Help!"

Frozen in his place, he felt his eyes change from being a sadistic demon face to his normal one. Shaking his head in disbelief, he answered: "Fionna?"

A pair of arms snapped the breath out his easily. Luckily, the female got the hint and pulled away just as easily. A light punch in the arm was thrown at him as she laughed. "Glad you're alive and well, Marshall!"

The shock he felt from his discovery, plus the distracting beat of her pulse made him say something really intelligent like: "Uh-huh, me too."

Fionna offered him a ride on her green backpack as his tiny bat-self (which he initially refused because of his stubborn pride) so the sunlight wouldn't hurt him as they asked around for directions. Though their voices are muffled, he can hear their inquiries such as: "Do you know where are we?" to "Glob, I smell tacos from afar, sugarcakes."

Peeking though that tiny hole that her bag allowed without getting in contact with the sunlight, Marshall Lee tried to look at the two females as they interact with a huge looking dude with square glasses. His attempts were futile, but the man's face can be only seen from the hole.

"Excuse me, sir, but where are we?" Asked Fionna, who seemed very oblivious by the fact that dude is a flipping human like her.

The man looked at her like she was crazy, "Uh, Lower East Side?"

"Of?" She prompted; confusion at the unfamiliar name was evident in her tone.

"Manhattan." He said rather impatiently, as if eager to leave the two.

"Listen here, homeboy, you need to be very specific so we can pinpoint where are we in Aaa. Got it?" The vampire imagined the feline putting her paws on her hips as she said those words.

The male took a step back, shaking his head in disbelief. "Man, I'm so trippy right now, lady. I'm imagining your cat talking to me!"

"Excuuuuuuuuuse you!" Cake took offense, "Do ya have any problems with me talking, mister?"

Marshall thought he was going to brush the two away rudely, but instead, the man just laughed and walked away, muttering: "A talking cat!"

Lower East Side. Manhattan. Why do these names seem to be familiar to him?

The vampire stared into distance as he tried to remember what are the significance of those names to him—leaving Fionna and Cake discussing tactics in this unfamiliar territory.

* * *

**A/N:**

_Hey! Thank you so much for your lovely reviews! Sorry if the updates are not that fast as before, been busy with school and whatnot. D:_

_(Also, sorry for those typos and grammar error because I type at night and yep!)_

_What do you think of this chapter? Leave a review, if you want to! :D_

_—A_


End file.
